-- The first full LNG carrier to be trapped in the Persian Gulf since the conflict began on Feb. 28 appears to have successfully exited via the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, according to vessel tracking data cited in multiple news reports.
The Liberia-flagged LNG tanker Mubaraz, owned by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, was reported by media outlets to have loaded cargo at Das Island in early March.
Adnoc did not immediately reply to requests for comment from.
Following weeks of inactivity within the Gulf and a signal blackout that began around March 31, the vessel, carrying an estimated 132,890 to 137,000 cubic meters of LNG, reappeared west of India on Monday.
VesselFinder.com reports the tanker is currently en route to Tianjin, China, with an expected arrival on May 14.
This development comes as the global energy market keeps a close watch on the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic has plummeted to near zero over the past two months due to rival blockades imposed by Iran and the US.
The closure of this critical waterway, which handles roughly one-fifth of global LNG supply, has caused significant market tightening and pushed prices sharply higher.
While Mubaraz's movement may fuel speculation about a resumption of LNG exports from the region, other vessels in the Gulf appear to be staying put, reports said. Before the conflict, approximately three loaded LNG carriers transited the Strait of Hormuz daily.
While tracking data in early April indicated an empty LNG tanker exited the Strait, this marks the first confirmed potential transit of a vessel fully loaded with fuel.
Previous attempts by several ships carrying Qatari LNG to approach the Strait were abandoned, with vessels turning back due to persistent US-Iran tensions, Bloomberg reported.